Roberta Writes – Book review: Once I was a Soldier by Daniel Kemp #bookreview #readingcommunity

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What Amazon says

Francesca Clark-Bartlett, wife of the American Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, seeks more power than she already has. Meanwhile, the attractive yet naive Melissa Iverson wishes she had never inherited her family’s vast fortune.

After they both become entangled with a 44-year-old, womanizing British intelligence agent, the two women find themselves in a web of deception and mystery. Threatening letters, dark family secrets and connections to persons of power all tell them that the path they tread is wrought with danger.

Daniel Kemp’s Once I Was A Soldier is a thriller brimming with international intrigue, and a story of poignant self-reflection.

My review

This is the second book in the series that starts with What Happened in Vienna, Jack? The author does a good job of connecting the main character in this second book to the same main character in the first book. Terry Jefferies aka Patrick West, is now middle aged, but is still working for British Intelligence under men who are devious and happy to set him up and misuse him for their own advantage. He has become a womanizer with an active service role that involves heavy drinking and seducing various women ‘of interest’ to the British authorities. Terry is a far less likeable character in this book than its predecessor, but the odd memories and backflashes to his younger days and his Irish love interest from book 1, did allow me to like him a little and feel sorry for what a poor example of a man he’d become. Terry is actually a victim in this series as his employers keep him in the dark about a lot of essential information which is only disclosed slowly as the story progresses.

Melissa Iverson is a spoiled rich kid who is hell bent on getting her own way at any cost. She is instrumental in the death by suicide of her father, following which she heartlessly retrenches the elderly couple who have worked for her family their whole lives and sells the family property. It is impossible to like Melissa as she is so selfish and heartless, she literally throws the Spencer’s out on on the street. Subsequent to her father’s death, and even before, she has spent her life hopping from bed to the next and, given that this book is set in an earlier more conservative time, she suffers several consequences as a result of her rash and uninhibited sexual behaviour. It is impossible to like Melissa and so even when she turns on the ‘poor unloved girl who just wants to be looked after’ act, I was not able to feel sorry for her. I thought the ‘setting up’ of her character was well done by the author and aided the inevitable clever twist at the end of the story.

The other important character is another spoiled and selfish woman called Francesca Clark-Bartlett, wife of the American Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. Melissa and Francesca are connected through society and Melissa published a book written by Francesca about her father. Terry’s employers need information about Francesca and her husband and Terry is sent to America to seduce her. Francesca is not the sort of woman anyone could seduce, but she is happy enough to exploit Terry, whom she find attractive, sexually and also introduce him to her circle of sad, sexually deprived friends. Terry is happy to oblige and a part of the book is devoted to his erotic engagements with Francesca and her friends.

Melissa starts receiving letters threatening her life and immediately reaches out to Terry which whom she has had a previous week long affair. He goes over to America to assist with finding the potential killer and becomes involved again with Melissa.

The story is involved and you have to pay attention while reading as the lives and circumstances of these two women unfold and their relationship with each other is revealed. Terry is injected into all of this intrigue with little knowledge of the real stakes. It makes for an intriguing and fast paced story with an unexpected and exciting ending.

Purchase Once I was a Soldier

Available as a paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075XCQ3JG

Find other books by Daniel Kemp on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Daniel-Kemp/author/B075XRTBRP

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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37 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Book review: Once I was a Soldier by Daniel Kemp #bookreview #readingcommunity”

  5. I think I would probably lose the plot, but it brings up that question of do we need to like some of the characters, or feel a connection with them to enjoy a novel? Of course it limits story lines if everyone in a book is being nice to each other and living a cosy life!

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  7. Great review, Robbie! I am putting this in my TBR. I feel like I’ve read Daniel Kemp before, but I can’t remember for sure. His name sounds familiar. Anyway, I’m going to look at his other books, too, so I can solve this mystery. 😀

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  9. Thank you so much for this wonderful review, Robbie. You are capable of such in-depth analysis I wonder why you are not a forensic scientist. Or maybe you have been one in another life? Now there’s a thought. I’m sorry I was a little slow in seeing this post. I took a rather heavy fall on Saturday night after coming in from the back garden with the dog and I have been a bit layed-up since then. I tripped over the doorstep, hit my head hard, bruised all the right side of my leg and pulled my back! My head was cut but not too badly and the back has kept me awake most of the night. But you have managed to put a smile on my beat-up-looking face! Thank you once again.

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    1. Hi Danny, I am so very sorry to hear about your fall. Your injuries sound painful and I hope you heal up quickly. My mom had a fall on Monday morning and skinned her entire arm. It looks like a boiled gammon. I’ve been apply suture plasters, antibiotic cream and dressing for the past few days according to the doctor’s instructions. It is so easy to fall and do yourself a mischief. Hugs. I am very glad you like the review. This was a very good book.

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  17. Hi Robbie – thanks for reviewing this book. I like complex stories, so that is appealing to me, although American politics can be hard to take when you’re living through them first-hand 😅. Hope you are doing well 🙂

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